Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Private Guided Tour with Expert Interpretation for Families
5.0
132 Ratings
Volcano
Experience the wonders of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a private guided tour with expert interpretation for families. Customize your tour, learn about volcanoes, and explore the park with the help of certified interpretive guides.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Kīlauea Visitor Center - On the afternoon of 9/10/23 Kilauea resumed erupting after a 3-month pause. We don’t know how long this eruption may last and we can not control if you will or will not see lava. We want everyone to see lava. With this tour we meet you in the Park, or leave the driving to us and book our Kona Volcano with a pickup on the west side of the island. We made the 5 AM start a different tour because lava changes.

In this action-packed 3 1/2 hours we drive for only about 50-55 minutes, we have many stops and show you the best of the Park.

This Park is a World UNESCO Heritage site. Get the most out of your visit to this treasure. On this tour, you will learn about Hawaii’s volcanoes, walk through lava fields, see video footage of eruptions, learn about native plants and birds. We do a minimum 1-mile walk on a paved path, we are happy to recommend trails after the tour.

You will see steam vents, lava tube, lava trees, fissure cracks, pit craters, caldera. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the size of Oahu and has some amazing and unique scenery.

Dress code: Closed-toe shoes and it can be COLD sometimes. Dress in layers. Please ensure children are not COLD, and dress accordingly.

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Use of binoculars
  • Complimentary bottled water
  • Sunscreen and bug repellent provided
  • Guided by a National Park Certified Interpretive Guide
  • 4 trekking poles available for use
  • Adult plastic ponchos provided; suggestions for children’s attire
  • Snacks included
  • Air-conditioned transportation
  • Free personal photos
What's Not Included
  • Free to get in with a National Park Pass or pay the Park directly for $30/car good for 7 days.
Additional Information

The posted cost is meant for a single van that can accommodate a maximum of 10 individuals. We reside in Volcano and are both officially Certified Interpretive Guides for the National Park, thus ensuring a top-notch experience. Out of the total 3 1/3 hours, only around 50-55 minutes are spent driving.

We designed this activity with the intention to make the learning experience about volcanoes affordable and suitable for family. The Park offers an overwhelming amount of knowledge and sights, which might be challenging to decide where to start if you’re solo. Join us in our Mercedes van, witness video recordings of previous eruptions. The tour is modified according to you and your group’s tastes. There are hikes of varying difficulties, and there’s plenty to explore and engage in with a little guidance on the choices available.

Immerse yourself and your family in a thrilling adventure that will leave a lasting memory, and maximize your National Park experience compared to a solo venture!

  • Dress code: Multiple LAYERS and rain jackets, since mountain weather might fluctuate 20 degrees in a single morning. Punctuality is required as we cannot offer additional time.*
  • After entering the Park, and passing the booths, the first building on the right is the Visitor Center, look for a Mercedes van that says Big Island VIP. https://goo.gl/maps/7oNjFwvdZbFWQ1np8
Location
Kīlauea Visitor Center
Crater Rim Drive
The National Park is in the process of building a new Visitor Center, this will take over a year. For now we will meet you at the Kilauea Overlook. If there is an eruption on the day of your tour don't panic, we will call you. It is very important this tour starts on time, it's only 3 hours.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(132 Ratings)
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Lawrence_t
May 17, 2024
I’d give it 10 stars if I could - Skylar was awesome! He called us on our way to make sure we were clear on the meeting place and took time to say hello to each of us. He had tons of information about the park, the island and culture of the area. He provided umbrellas, ponchos, snacks and drinks as we went into and out of rain over the course of the tour. He took time to answer questions and made sure we saw the best parts of the park even with the weather. Thank you so much for the amazing trip that my family will always remember!
Review provided by Viator
Jenny_w
Apr 22, 2024
Take this tour! - This tour gave us the highlights of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park within a well paced 3 hours, perfect for a family with members ages 3 to 81. Skylar was THE BEST guide, we learned a ton and he took so many photos of the group for us to remember this experience. Snacks and water were provided and the transportation was comfortable. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Ling_w
Apr 21, 2024
Our guide Skylar is very... - Our guide Skylar is very knowledgeable and professional. We learned a lot about the volcanoes and the park during the drop. Would recommend to anyone.
Review provided by Viator
Marcia_v
Apr 11, 2024
So happy we did this! - Our experience with Skylar was fantastic! My family couldn’t stop talking about the great day and how it wouldn’t have been the same without his knowledge. He shared so much about the island and the Park and kept the day exciting. He was also great with my 83 year mom and took great care of her at all the stops ensuring she was safe. I can’t say enough about this tour! Well worth the money! Excellent!!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Coastal354135
Apr 2, 2024
Great Way to Explore Volcanoes National Park from the rainforest to the lava fields - What a great way to start our vacation on the Big Island. The van comfortably fit my family of 5 plus my elderly mother and in-laws. The tour guide was friendly, informative, and accommodating of our group's different needs and desires (kids wanting to run and climb and explore, grandparents needing to take it much slower). It was so nice to be able to sit back and relax and get driven around in a comfortable vehicle while we learned all about the park, making multiple stops to explore.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachel_l
Mar 28, 2024
Private tour is the way to go!! - This was such an incredible afternoon! We did the short tour with Skylar, our tour guide. We were with my four boys ranging from 10-14 and Skylar did such an amazing job keeping things interesting for them. He was very engaging and it was the perfect amount of time to spend in the park with the kids. We learned so much and Skylar also took hundreds of pictures that will be available for us to download. Honestly, as the resident family photographer, this was such an added bonus as I didn’t have to worry about “getting the pictures” and I could just enjoy myself. I loved driving down the chain of craters road, seeing the lava river bed and the views were stunning. At the end of the tour, we saw the most incredible rainbow that was dipping down into the large crater behind the volcano house. Unbelievable! Also, Jodi, the owner of the tour company, was incredibly kind, giving some suggestions of hikes in the park. The whole experience was easy to plan and incredible to do. One of the highlights of our trip on the Big Island!
Review provided by Viator
Roxanne_l
Mar 16, 2024
Great time in Volcanoes National Park - Our guide, Skyler, was great. So knowledgeable and well prepared with ponchos, umbrellas and snacks. We had a fantastic time.
Review provided by Viator
Matthew_c
Feb 27, 2024
Fantastic experience... - Fantastic experience visiting Volcanoes National Park. Our guide did a great job making the most of the 3.5 hours in the massive park. Our kids (and adults) appreciated the videos he played in the van betweens tops to give us more context and background knowledge on what we were seeing. Great day overall
Review provided by Viator
Pam_s
Feb 25, 2024
Great overview tour! - This was a great overview tour of the Park. Skylar is an outstanding tour guide. He answered all of our questions fully and tailored the tour to what we wanted to see and learn about.
Review provided by Viator
Catherine_b
Apr 29, 2024
fun - the trip was fun, Just on day of the weather was extremely foggy and rainy and you couldn't see the Mt at all , But the guide did his best to make it a fun day
Review provided by Viator
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